Why is this happening...echo()ing out fine but ereg_replace=weird results

s_shrum

Here's a simple challange...

Create an HTML file in which you have the following text:

#total#

Now save that as template.html.

Now, create a simple script that:

1) opens template.html and saves it as a string to a variable, ala:

$template = join('', file("./template.html"));

2) query a database (doesn't matter what; just as long as there are rows returned)

3) get the num of rows using mysql_num_rows() and save that to a variable (let's say $total_rows),

$total_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);

3) do ereg_replace on "#total#" in your $template with $total_rows.

$template = ereg_replace ('#total#', $total_rows, $template);

4) Now display that to the browser

echo($template);

Now, if I'm correct (as this is what is happening to me), you won't see the number of rows but rather an ASCII element.

I've tried different token wrappers like '$' and '%' but they all produce the same result: no number. If you echo($total_rows); this displays the correct value or rows returned. It's almost as if the number that is replaced becomes part of a ASCII code and it pulls the character that corresponds with the row number returned

Why is this happening?

TIA

Sean Shrum

eriksmoen

$template = file("./template..html");
$lines = count($template);
echo $lines;

should work for just counting how many lines are in the file. if you want to read the information, use:

while($line = $template){
// whatever here...
}

hope that helps... if it's what i'm thinking your talking about...

s_shrum

I think you missed step 2.

The template file has tokens in it. I want to display the number of RECORDS in a DATABASE in the template file using the token of '#total#' as the insertion point for this number.

Here is my data. This might help clear the air:

TEMPLATE.HTML file contents:

<html>
<head>
<title>token page</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>#total#</p>
</body>

</html>

TOTAL.PHP code

<?php

// Get db credentials
require ("./db_credentials.php");

// get the SQL statement parts from the query string
$sql="Select * FROM links";

// connect to the database and get results
$dbcnx = @mysql_connect($db_server, $db_user, $db_password);
if (!$dbcnx) { echo( "<p>Unable to connect to the database server at this time.</p>" ); exit(); }
if (! @mysql_select_db($db_table) ) { echo( "<p>Unable to locate database <b>" . $db_table . "</b> at this time.</p>" ); exit(); }
$result = @mysql_query(urldecode($sql));
if (!$result) { echo("<p>Error performing query: " . mysql_error() . "</p>"); exit(); }

//get the row count
$total_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);

//load the template file
$template = join('', file('./template.html'));

// ereg_replace
$template = ereg_replace ('\#total\#', $total_rows, $template);

// output the result
echo($template);

?>[/b]

Of course the SQL string will be different for you but the only thing that matters is that you get a row result back.

Sean Shrum